I actually bent few 6061 stem bodies slightly and this is not a problem at all. I treat this like a wear / abuse. Bent is safe and will bend only a little.
I never had problems with bar slippage. instalation problem? / old bent bars / not degreased / not cleaned or bolts not checked. Or painted bars under the stem. I used many times mtb 6061 150-200g stems with M6 bolts even once M5. Those are 25.4 with shims to fit 22.2 bmx bars. Even with shims never slipped. Paired with 8-10" bars. I only fear snapped bolts (1 - then slipage or 2-4 then bars disconected which is scary). It happened to me many times even with M8 bolts (drilled ones like Alienation). Now im only using full plain M8 even in my street mtb. And M4
in suspension 27.5 bike
Im using look-like-a-brick stems, and like very wide designs (not like old Shadow) which looked like pussy comparing to my Solid OG Lite 6061. Maybe because of love for wide stems (+-50mm) I have no bars slippage problem. plus I dislike body cut designs like Coalition Povah/ old Shadow/ Aliention or designs with split front caps (then less clamping area). So I dont understand why everybody talks about stem area and bar slippage...?? Is this really that common issue? I never had it. I only saw some 13yo kids on Wallmart\Alibaba bmx bikes doing first bunnyhops then had crossbar hit Toptube cause nobody (them, parent, 7-11 sales never tightened stem bolts)..
Currently I use again Odyssey 6061 gold stem and run it upside down like a topload with Colony Ten-acious bars. Not a single problem. Because proper LONG bolts with BIG bolt-heads are used. Even allen slot are deep not shallow like in some stems. This lead me to state my topic subject is not really right... (!!!) 7075 might help but my main issue is - new stems are not anymore OG bricks 320g. They use 6061 + less and less material, shorter and shorter bolts are my problem
Is I usually strip the handlebar bolts because in topload stems they are shorter and shorter thesedays. It happens without any overtigtening. And new stems work sometimes with only few threads lets say 5-7 instead of 10. Even with proper installation this feels weak.
Another problem I have is snapped plain M8 bolts. Sometimes I dont even know it just a noisy click. Then Two days later bar slippage or desintegration when the rest snaps...
But main problem is stripped threads in 6061 body and snapped bolts